Choose Your DifficultyThere are two difficulties: Fetish or Hardcore. Until you get a feel for the game, the Fetish setting is recommended. Once you've selected one, you can change the difficulty in the Settings menu. Once you've unlocked a Scene, and it's available from the menu, you can play it on the Hardcore difficulty regardless of how it was unlocked.

The only difference between the difficulties is the radar. It is turned off in Hardcore, so an intimate knowledge of the level is required if you're going to survive and thrive. Playing Hardcore is the only way to earn certain bonuses in the game, so you might want to explore it after finishing with Fetish.

The Y AxisSince there is a lot of looking necessary in Manhunt, it's wise to set up the camera according to your tastes. The game starts with the Y inverted, so if you're more used to pressing the way you want to look, make sure you change this to Off in the Controls section of the Settings menu.

Use the HeadsetThe experience of Manhunt is greatly enhanced by using the USB headset. By using it, you'll hear the Director give you commands and tips. Not only that, but the atmosphere of the game is much better when the diabolical bastard is chatting in your ear. We recommend this Logitech device, as it's the most comfortable and functional headset we've seen for the PS2.

Blood For RatingsEach "movie" that you make will be rated. To achieve a good rating for each level, you'll want to kill often and kill quickly. The faster you make it through the level, the better. The more hunters you execute, the better. The more you vary your kills, the better. By earning a three star rating, you will unlock bonuses, and eventually cheat codes.

You can earn up to three points for Style, one more point for Style vis a vis difficulty (you can earn one extra style point per level on Hardcore), and one point for time. Earn all five points, and the art you unlock will contain one half of a cheat code. Earn both halves (by five-starring Scenes 1&2, for instance), to unlock the cheat. Cheats cannot be used until you earn them, so even if you read one early, you'll not be able to use it until you unlock it yourself.

To get the most Style Points, you'll want to perform as many executions as possible, and make them Violent or Gruesome whenever you can. Some levels require a more run-and-gun approach, so you won't need as many executions (as opposed to straight-up kills). One thing's for certain--if you're playing through a level solely with a melee weapon, you should go for executions rather than kills to help garner the best rating.

Stalking, Killing and Reading the RadarThe main idea of the game is in its title... your role in the game is to hunt down and slaughter men. In order to make it out of the adventure alive, you'll have to do just that. Your best asset in this adventure is the radar display. Not only will it indicate the position of any enemy that you can hear... it will also show you which direction he is facing. This is crucial, because you never want to approach an enemy from in front. The enemy indicator will also show if a hunter is above or below you. Hunters at different levels will appear as solid triangles, while those at the same level as you will look more like < or >.

Another thing you can see from the radar display is how aware enemies are of you. If a hunter's indicator is yellow, he has no idea you even exist, or has at the very least forgotten about you. If a hunter is orange, he's aware of you, but doesn't know exactly where you are. If a hunter appears red, he's coming after your ass, and you're going to have to defend yourself or die.

The idea is to stay out of sight, and make sure that you only take on one hunter at a time. Hang out in the shadows and make a noise by hitting the wall, and a hunter will be attracted to the sound. His interest will change to orange. As he sniffs around and finds nothing, he will turn yellow, and then return to whatever he was originally doing. When he does this, sneak behind him and execute.

Violent and Gruesome ExecutionsAlthough they don't introduce these skills until later in the game, you can do them throughout to pump up your style points. Just make sure you have plenty of time to perform them. What you need to do is creep up behind a victim, and when your character raises his weapon to signal the start of an execution, press and hold the execute button. Hold the button until the target cursor around your victim turns yellow to do a Violent execution, and hold it until it turns red for a Gruesome execution. Let go when the cursor turns the appropriate color, and sit back to watch the grisly show. Make sure you time these things as the hunters are walking away from you down a longh stretch, and stay close enough at all times to perform an execution.

Get 'Em Looking the Other WayCertain items, like the bottle, can and decapitated enemy head, can be thrown to get an enemy looking in a specific direction. If an enemy is facing you and you are in the shadows, throw it past him (don't hit him), to get him to look the opposite direction. Then creep out and execute from behind.

General Tips:

Always, always, always look at your radar (provided you're playing on Fetish). If you're unsure of what's going on, wait. Other hunters will likely present themselves if you give them the chance.

If using a headset, be conscious of the mic. You don't want to cough or talk into it and give away your position. If playing in a loud setting, turn the voice portion of the headset off.

Don't hang out in the open. Always stick to the walls, and preferably, the shadows. If your character icon appears blue, no one will be able to see you, and you will only be detected if you make noise or if someone bumps into you.

Watch your step! Hitting into cans, trash, gravel and other detritus will alert hunters and possibly put an end to your stealthy efforts. Conversely, sometimes you'll want to kick these items to make bigger noises in order to draw far away hunters to their doom.

Kicking trash cans and garbage bags can often yield items. Just make sure no one is around before you do it. Shooting soda machines with a gun will make cans come out.